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Asure (NASDAQ: ASUR) Reports Strong Q3 2022 Earnings - Management Upbeat with Encouraging Top & Bottom Lines

Benzinga

Asure Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: ASUR), a cloud services provider in the Human Capital Management (HCM) industry, posted stellar Q3 2022 financial results at a time when Wall Street is unforgiving to slips in execution. With persistent inflation and a potential recession in 2023 on the horizon, small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) crave efficiency. That’s made Asure’s HCM solutions more relevant than ever. The HCM company is also seeing benefits from record-low unemployment, which continues to offset any potential recession impact and higher interest rates help Asure generate float revenue. In a sense, some of the bad headlines dominating the financial news over the past year are positive for Asure’s business model, as they act as a hedge against recession. Recent News and Accomplishments During Q3 2022 Management’s strategy centers around increasing its number of integrations and partnerships to help SMBs cut costs and streamline their back office operations. HR solution provider PrismHR will now offer Asure’s Payroll Tax Management Services and FlexTax platform to its client base of over 80,000 organizations. "This new partnership provides an opportunity to significantly expand our payroll tax business into the PEO and ASO markets while enabling PrismHR to provide an alternative, standalone tax filing solution that complements their existing HR portfolio,” said Pat Goepel, Chairman, and CEO of Asure. “Our deep expertise in the complex landscape of payroll taxes uniquely positions Asure to deliver not only a user-friendly software solution to PrismHR’s customers but also the experienced counsel and support of a knowledgeable team of payroll tax experts." Asure recently entered into collaboration with Equifax and its The Work Number tool, which is available to its software users for income and employment verification. This approach to both provide its IP and leverage the technology of other providers when appropriate has allowed for Asure’s growth to be 100% organic as opposed to through acquisitions. “Equifax brings deep expertise in verification services, and through our integration with The Work Number, we’re delivering significant benefits to our 80,000 small business customers and reseller partners and their employees,” said Pat Goepel, Chairman, and CEO of Asure. "Employers will no longer have to spend time manually responding to verification requests, and their employees will have instant access, more seamless verifications in support of important life events." During Q3 2022, Asure expanded its tax filing capabilities to help CPA firms and tax pros to streamline services for the high-demand Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC), which is a COVID-era policy that provided businesses up to $26,000 per retained employee. Asure’s solution helps automate back-office transactional processes of calculating the compliant tax credits and filing the necessary quarterly amended returns to qualify for the ERTC. At Asure, we’re always seeking new ways for technology to support small businesses and the organizations that serve them. Our CPA partners were telling us they couldn’t keep pace with the volume of administrative work associated with ERTC demand. Our technology automates the back-office ERTC work so they can focus on high-value client work,” said Pat Goepel, Chairman, and CEO of Asure. “We’re excited about this new technology’s ability to help drive organic growth as it allows us to serve even more payroll and non-payroll clients alike.” Lastly, Asure announced the expansion of 401(k) plan options for small employers with an additional 80+ provider integrations. This helps SMBs to remain competitive in attracting top talent by offering more enticing retirement benefits. Furthermore, the integration allows clients to sync the Asure payroll system with the 401(k) platforms to streamline enrollment, reduce dual entry, and retain compliance. “In today’s job market, prospective employees have high expectations, even from smaller organizations. Making it easy to offer 401(k) options for retirement savings is just one way that Asure is empowering our customers to be more competitive, while also removing administrative burdens,” said Pat Goepel, Chairman, and CEO of Asure. ASUR: Q3 2022 Financial Results Breakdown Revenue rose 22% year-over-year to $21.9 million during the third quarter of 2022 ended September 30, 2022. Even more impressive, total bookings, a forward-looking metric measuring the total value of all contracts signed, were up 91% year-over-year. Asure did post a net loss of $4.5 million during the quarter. This appears worrisome when you consider that the same quarter last year featured $5.3 million of net income. However, accounting without context can be deceiving. The $5.3 million net income in Q3 of 2021 was the result of a $10.5 million ETRC. A more reliable comparison would be the adjusted EBITDA reading. Asure’s adjusted EBITDA of $2.1 million, which excludes the ERTC tailwind, shot up 71% relative to the prior year period. In other words, operating expenses are shrinking relative to revenue, leading to more profitability. Progress on both the top and bottom lines. Q4 2022 and Full-Year 2023 Guidance Estimates Continued Growth Management not only raised revenue projections for Q4 2022 but shared their guidance for 2023 - a revenue growth target of 9-13% while increasing margins to 14-16%. Specifically, Asure Software estimates Q4 2022 revenues to come between $23.5 million and $24 million, with an adjusted EBITDA goal of $3 million to $3.5 million for the quarter. For the full-year 2022, the HCM services provider sees total revenue coming in between $90 million and $90.5 million on an adjusted EBITDA range between $10.5 million to $11 million. Looking forward to 2023, Asure sees revenue coming in between $98 million and $102 million. Asure continues to showcase its resilience. While many SaaS companies are bleeding, Asure’s retention rate and revenue per client both rose year-over-year. The company continues to be well-managed and disciplined, even as the overall economy sees some volatility and uncertainty. Asure is a volatile micro-cap tech stock on paper, but it’s becoming increasingly clear that small and medium-sized businesses are viewing the company’s services and technologies as essential, not as a discretionary expense. Disclaimer: Spotlight Growth is compensated, either directly or via a third party, to provide investor relations services for its clients. Spotlight Growth creates exposure for companies through a customized marketing strategy, including design of promotional material, the drafting and editing of press releases and media placement.All information on featured companies is provided by the companies profiled, or is available from public sources. Spotlight Growth and its employees are not a Registered Investment Advisor, Broker Dealer or a member of any association for other research providers in any jurisdiction whatsoever and we are not qualified to give financial advice. The information contained herein is based on external sources that Spotlight Growth believes to be reliable, but its accuracy is not guaranteed. Spotlight Growth may create reports and content that has been compensated by a company or third-parties, or for purposes of self-marketing. Spotlight Growth was compensated five thousand dollars cash for the creation and dissemination of this content by the company.This material does not represent a solicitation to buy or sell any securities. Certain statements contained herein constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements may include, without limitation, statements with respect to the Company’s plans and objectives, projections, expectations and intentions. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about the Company’s industry, management’s beliefs and certain assumptions made by management.The above communication, the attachments and external Internet links provided are intended for informational purposes only and are not to be interpreted by the recipient as a solicitation to participate in securities offerings. Investments referenced may not be suitable for all investors and may not be permissible in certain jurisdictions.Spotlight Growth and its affiliates, officers, directors, and employees may have bought or sold or may buy or sell shares in the companies discussed herein, which may be acquired prior, during or after the publication of these marketing materials. Spotlight Growth, its affiliates, officers, directors, and employees may sell the stock of said companies at any time and may profit in the event those shares rise in value. For more information on our disclosures, please visit: https://spotlightgrowth.com/disclosures/ The post “Asure (NASDAQ: ASUR) Reports Strong Q3 2022 Earnings - Management Upbeat with Encouraging Top & Bottom Lines” first appeared on Spotlight Growth. This post contains sponsored advertising content. This content is for informational purposes only and not intended to be investing advice. Contact Details Benzinga +1 877-440-9464 info@benzinga.com Company Website http://www.benzinga.com

November 16, 2022 11:35 AM Eastern Standard Time

Uno Pizzeria and Grill Braces for Record-Breaking Thanksgiving Weekend

UNO Pizzeria & Grill

Uno Pizzeria and Grill, the iconic pizza chain, is preparing its restaurants for a major volume weekend around the Thanksgiving Day holiday. Many current social and economic factors are playing into the company’s optimistic outlook. For starters, Thanksgiving weekend historically lends itself to increased pizza take-out demand due to the focus on the celebratory and family-focused weekend of food. “While people are preparing and cooking for a family feast on Thanksgiving, they typically do not want to nor have time to prepare for other meals during the holiday weekend. Pizza is a perfect sharable food that plays into family and friends getting together”, stated Erik Frederick, CEO of Uno Pizzeria and Grill. “On the topic of family and friends getting together, Friendsgiving has become a bigger and bigger occasion over the last decade”, continued Frederick. The concept of Friendsgiving is friends getting together because they have returned home or they have extra free time around the holiday. These get-togethers usually revolve around food and typically involve a “pot luck” meal where each person brings their own dish to contribute. Again, the sharable nature and universal appeal of pizza make it a perfect food to bring to such a gathering. It has become a staple of Friendsgiving celebrations over the last couple of years. This year will be no different. But the biggest factor for the increased popularity of pizza is quite simply the economic environment in 2023. The inherent value of pizza makes it an attractive offering considering the economic conditions in the country this year. Prices of turkey and other Thanksgiving staples are soaring and availability is an added issue. Multiple trade magazines are reporting that many consumers, especially younger ones, are more value-conscious than ever. Bloomberg News states in its recent article titled “Inflation is Making Pizza More Appealing this Thanksgiving”, that in a recent survey “one in five Americans doubted whether they would have enough money to cover the cost of Thanksgiving this year” and that younger consumers would be “opting for meals of soup, salad and pizza”. Frederick added, “First of all, you know who loves pizza – everyone. So you can please everybody by ordering pizza. Secondly, as prices soar on all consumer goods, pizza remains a tremendous value to feed multiple people at a lower cost. We will be ready to feed the masses this coming Thanksgiving weekend whether it is with our legendary pizza, tasty wings and appetizers or other great menu items”. Who knows, maybe next year Uno Pizzeria and Grill will unveil the Thanksgiving dinner pizza with all the fixins’!! About UNO Pizzeria & Grill Based in Boston, Massachusetts, Uno Restaurant Holdings Corporation includes approximately 80 company-owned and franchised UNO Pizzeria & Grill restaurants located in 18 states, and the District of Columbia, India, and Saudi Arabia. UNO is all about connecting people over pizza – from its famous Chicago Deep Dish, which UNO invented in 1943, to its Chicago Thin Crust, to its gluten-free and vegan pizzas. The Company also operates Uno Foods, a consumer packaged-foods business which supplies supermarkets, airlines, movie theaters, hotels, airports, travel plazas, and schools, with both frozen and refrigerated UNO branded products. For more information, visit www.unos.com. Contact Details Chris Dellamarggio +1 339-613-7641 cdellamarggio@unos.com Company Website https://www.unos.com/

November 16, 2022 11:16 AM Eastern Standard Time

Native Sportsbook Solutions Drives Future-Forward and Cost-Effective Engagement Solutions with Quarter4’s Artificial Intelligence

Quarter4

Native Sportsbook Solutions, the only Native American-owned sportsbook provider and operator that focuses on developing top-tier and profitable sportsbooks, today has announced it has selected Quarter4, an AI-powered sports and betting data engagement platform, to propel its goal of delivering the most innovative and profit-enabling solutions for sportsbooks. “We believe that engagement and retention are key drivers for sportsbook success. The interaction between users and the betting opportunities need to be unique and curated to prompt action. Quarter4 delivers some of the most unique and automated content and data solutions for our platform,” said Thomas Gilanyi, co-founder of Native Sportsbook Solutions. Quarter4 generates content and curated data via a validated, deep learning neural network. The system generates a predictive data point for every player and team in select college or professional sports. With up to 3 million probabilities produced daily, and updated no less than every 15 minutes, the non-biased insights deliver an intimate viewpoint for the bettor or fan. No-code widgets, in-game and pregame probabilities and a robust API reduce development costs and time-to-market for its B2B clients. “Native Sportsbook Solutions has a requirement to deliver quality solutions that focus on profitability for Tribes. This means that bettor engagement and retention are a prime focal point,” said Danijela Covic, co-founder and CSO of Quarter4. “Our seamless integration, tech-first approach and robust product offering is a perfect fit for this operator and their customers.” Cost, efficiency, engagement and retention are very important to Native Sportsbook Solutions. Tribal sovereignty is the ultimate goal through providing solutions that drive higher profits. Quarter4 is built to answer all of these operator requirements. “Cost-saving engagement and retention strategies are top-of-list for all of our customers. Automated technologies propelling these strategies will remain of utmost importance to us as we deploy our solutions,” recaps Thomas Gilanyi. “Through the integration of automation and AI, along with re-thinking vendor contracts and in-house technology, we are able to cut operator costs by up to 50%. The savings go right back to the Tribes.” About Native Sportsbook Solutions Founded in 2020, Native Sportsbook Solutions is the only Native American-owned sportsbook provider and operator with a focus on developing top tier, profitable sportsbooks by providing the lowest fees & lowest revenue share in the industry. Their approach is innovative sportsbook solutions and innovative sports betting infrastructures that lower sportsbook operating costs. About Quarter4 Quarter4 's Artificial Intelligence technology delivers over 3 million predictions a day. Proprietary insights, related to team and player performance, are available via multiple delivery methods. Sportsbooks, data providers, media agencies and affiliates are empowered with predictive analysis that is unique, personalized and non-biased. The data for pregame and in-game predictions is available via robust API, custom dashboard and most recently, via embeddable products such as brackets, player effect and injury impact simulators as well as seasonal and seeding probability widgets. Contact Details Bailey Irelan +1 614-795-3308 birelan@hotpaperlantern.com Company Website https://quarter4.io/

November 16, 2022 09:01 AM Eastern Standard Time

Don Londrés Premium Tequila Appoints Barbara Cyzon as Head of Brand Operations

Full Scope PR

(Los Angeles, Nov 16, 2022)-- Don Londrés is the newest premium tequila, crafted using 100% agave, created by music mogul and serial entrepreneur Dre London, alongside legendary masters of the spirit, the González family. Launched in May 2022, Don Londrés is quickly growing in distribution in North America and the brand is pleased to announce Barbara Cyzon has been appointed Head of Brand Operations effective as of late November 2022. Cyzon joins the Don Londrés team where she will bring her love for building brands and hospitality into the culture of the luxurious tequila. Working alongside Dre London, Cyzon’s expertise will be instrumental in helping lead the brand strategically across international markets during a time of unprecedented growth and forward expansion. Her vast knowledge of the alcohol industry comes from her time representing the Remy Cointreau portfolio for the largest market in Canada. Cyzon was responsible for the execution of National marketing programs and the development of key strategic partnerships and activations including Live Nation, Veld Music Festival and Toronto International Film Festival. Originally from Toronto, Canada, Barbara Cyzon’s love for the entertainment industry started young, being exposed to music at an early age in a musical home. Her passion for creativity and academia led her to pursue her Bachelor’s in business at Ted Rogers School of Management at Toronto Metropolitan University and shortly after began her career at Universal Music Canada. She later moved to take on the role of Entertainment Sales at Thompson Hotel, where she helped advance tours, book artist stays, develop lifestyle programming which would bring her to eventually meeting Dre London. As Head of Brand Operations, Cyzon’s responsibilities will include, but not limited to: Develop, plan, and execute the implementation of marketing activities, both on premise and in retail across North America Lead brand strategy development across all markets, working in partnership with stakeholders Oversee distribution of products while managing relationships and driving collaboration with supply partners Participate in forecasting budgets and overall management of performance vs. growth targets Develop and manage ﬁeld marketing teams and activate on premise and events, working closely with various partnerships " We are excited to bring Barbara Cyzon onboard as Head of Brand Operations for my rapidly growing premium tequila, Don Londres. Her experience in the entertainment industry and key efforts on the Remy Cointreau portfolio makes her the perfect ﬁt to lead operations and help take Don Londrés to the next level.” - Dre London, Founder and CEO of Don Londrés About Don Londrés Founded by music manager and entrepreneur Dre London, Don Londrés is not just a tequila, it’s a lifestyle—modern, classic, simplicist—that adds a luxurious taste to every moment of life you choose to toast in celebration. As a business powerhouse who jets around the globe year-round, London has tasted the best the world has to offer. So, when it came to creating the ﬁnest tequila on the market, he knew exactly what he was looking for. The brand was crafted using 100% agave alongside legendary masters of the spirit, the González family of Mexico. Don Londrés, which will launch with a smooth, creamy Blanco this summer, is the ﬁnest tequila made for celebrating life’s ﬁnest moments—always responsibly, always with style, always with love. Contact Details Pia Malihi pia@fullscopepr.com Company Website https://www.donlondres.com/

November 16, 2022 06:00 AM Pacific Standard Time

Sir Nick Faldo: Silk Path Dong Trieu has the potential to become the best golf course in Vietnam

Everygolf

HANOI, VIETNAM - Media OutReach - 16 November 2022 - On November 8, world golf legend Sir Nick Faldo and the Faldo Design team spent a day at the Silk Path Dong Trieu golf course site. A construction review is carried out at the project site by Sir Nick Faldo and the Faldo Design team. During the visit to the site, Sir Nick Faldo personally reviewed and evaluated each hole under construction and made adjustments on details of his design work to produce a final golf course that is not only visually stunning but also loaded with challenges for golfers of all abilities. At an intimate gathering later that day in Hanoi between Sir Nick Faldo and Silk Path’s senior management and project team, he declared: "I really enjoyed my first site visit to Dong Trieu and am very happy with the golf course progress. We have many great golf holes with interesting features including rock, elevation changes, pine trees, streams, lakes and mountain views. Silk Path Dong Trieu has the potential to become the best golf course in Vietnam and I look forward to seeing the construction progress on my next design visit in 2023." Sir Nick Faldo and project team reviews the par-4 18th hole at Dong Trieu site. In addition to being funded and developed by Silk Path Group, a company with extensive knowledge of the luxury resort and five-star hotel industries, the Dong Trieu golf course project also receives advice and oversight from Everygolf Vietnam Joint Stock Company. With a development area of more than 130 hectares and an investment of more than USD60 million, the project satisfies all requirements for holding future international golf tournaments. Bui To Minh, Chairman of Silk Path Group, spoke at the event “This is a crucial project for the company in 2022 because it will help to further the promotion of the Silk Path brand and draw in a variety of tourists, including those from markets like South Korea, Australia, USA, and Europe, in addition to domestic tourists,” said Mr. Bui To Minh. The project's elements are, specifically, Sir Nick Faldo Signature courses of 18 holes championship length and one 9-hole course of shorter holes integrated with a golf instruction academy. Accommodation and top-notch entertainment amenities, and 5-star-quality services are also included in the Silk Path branded resort environment. Nguyen The Dai, Deputy General Director of Silk Path Golf cum Chairman of Everygolf Vietnam meets with Sir Nick Faldo and Faldo Design team. Along with emphasising the design sector, Silk Path Group has been making significant investments in the development of human resources with a team of domestic and international professionals, combining modern equipment to bring professional and top-notch golf course products and services to Vietnam and the region. Silk Path Dong Trieu project, which is scheduled to be finished at the start of Quarter 4 in 2023, aims to redefine the golf experience for golf enthusiasts around the world while also becoming a benchmark for high-end golf courses in Vietnam. * About world golf legend Sir Nick Faldo: Sir Nick Faldo won 6 majors (3 Masters & 3 Open Championships), 41 tournaments worldwide and was ranked #1 in the world for a total of 97 weeks. Sir Nick was knighted by the late Queen Elizabeth II in 2009 for his distinguished career and contributions to golf. He currently owns and heads up Faldo Design, one of the world’s leading golf course design companies which have designed highly acclaimed golf courses throughout the world. Contact Details Media Contact Will Will@cavas.com.vn

November 16, 2022 08:30 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Yoshitsu’s London Warehouse To Assist In Fulfilling Increasing Demand In Europe

Benzinga

Yoshitsu Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: TKLF), the Japanese retailer and wholesaler of beauty and health products, home goods and food, leased its first 2,362-square-foot warehouse in London. Leasing the warehouse is a significant move for the company, which has been enhancing its warehouse operations and solidifying its customer services to support global expansion in Europe. The warehouse, at Unit 5, Hanover West Industrial Estate, 161 Acton Lane, London, NW10 7NB, started operating on Oct. 25. It can keep up to 100 categories of products and store up to 50,000 items every one to 1½ months. The London warehouse comes a few weeks after the company leased its first warehouse of about 4,150 square feet in Texas, U.S. The new warehouse will improve access to inventory and augment customer services in the European region, Yoshitsu Co. Ltd Principal Executive Officer Mei Kanayama said of the recent development. "With the warehouse operation in London, we expect to effectively fulfill the increasing demand in the European markets for our products, boost our revenue in the region and improve our operating efficiency," Kanayama said. Europe's Beauty And Health Products Market In Europe, 72% of consumers use beauty and personal care products because they believe they are the key to maintaining a healthy and hygienic lifestyle, making the continent one of the world's largest markets for beauty and personal care products. Revenue for the market is expected to reach $119.7 billion in 2022, with a growth projection of $145.8 billion for 2023. By adding a new warehouse in Europe, Yoshitsu may optimize its fulfillment process and serve more customers quickly by shortening the delivery time, which could result in the company becoming a major player in the region. It also could reduce Yoshitsu's transportation costs, lower operating costs and increase the company's gross profit margins. About Yoshitsu Tokyo-based Yoshitsu has been in business for 15 years domestically and abroad. The firm has an extensive business network, including over 200 wholesale clients, numerous online stores in China, Korea and Japan, many company-operated stores in Japan and franchise stores in the United States, Canada, China (Hong Kong) and the United Kingdom. In addition to putting products in its retail and wholesale outlets worldwide, Yoshitsu says it also has its products stocked in many online stores across Japan, China (Hong Kong) and Korea. The company’s online stores, franchised stores and wholesale operations account for up to 95% of its revenue, which hit $221.51 million in 2021, up from $139.57 million in 2020. In the next five years, the firm plans to grow its sales by opening an additional 50 stores — 10 of these in Japan and another 10 spread across franchised locations in the U.S., Canada, Australia, China (Hong Kong) and the U.K. This post contains sponsored advertising content. This content is for informational purposes only and not intended to be investing advice. Contact Details Benzinga +1 877-440-9464 info@benzinga.com Company Website http://www.benzinga.com

November 16, 2022 08:15 AM Eastern Standard Time

Holiday Kickoff with Tech Life Expert Stephanie Humphrey

News Media Group, Inc.

Contact Details News Media Group, Inc. Karl Wayne +1 334-440-6397 karl@newsmg.com Company Website https://newsmg.com/

November 16, 2022 06:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Taiwan’s TCCF 2022 Drives $32 Million Growth in Asia Content Market

Taiwan Creative Content Agency

TAIPEI, TAIWAN - Media OutReach - 16 November 2022 - A record-setting 60 thousand visits were recorded at the third edition of TCCF (Taiwan Creative Content Fest), exceeding the previous year’s footfall by twofold. The organizer, TAICCA (Taiwan Creative Content Agency) attributes this increase, in part, to the extension of TCCF’s program from 5 to 11 days, and to the expanded pitching program with greater participation from international buyers. Nearly 100 events were held throughout the 11-day festival, including exhibitions and performances that opened to the public throughout, attracting bumper crowds. PITCHING A total of 42 original projects were pitched at TCCF 2022, attracting online and offline buyers from Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Australia, Spain, France and Canada. Among the 42 pitches, 24 were paneled by a delegation from Series Mania, Europe’s largest festival, forum and school, dedicated to series. This followed an agreement, signed between TAICCA and Series Mania earlier this year, to facilitate co-production between Taiwan and Europe. They selected a series titled JUDOKA, which tells the true story of a washed-up judo athlete from Taiwan, who falls in love with a gold-medal judo athlete from North Korea. JUDOKA will be presented on the Taiwan pavilion at Series Mania 2023, which takes place from March 21 to 23. According to the producers, Y.C. Tom Lee and Jae Yang, their project is already backed by the South Korean production company, Hanmac Culture Group, and recently caught the attention of another production company based in Serbia. MARKET A key content marketplace in Asia, TCCF 2022 gathered 133 exhibitors from Taiwan and the surrounding region. More than 100 international online and offline buyers visited the Market, which featured 812 titles - mostly by Taiwanese creators. The organizer, TAICCA is optimistic about growth in the Asia content marketplace, estimating a projected value in excess of 1 billion TWD from leads generated at the TCCF 2022 Market. Taiwanese production company, Screenworks Asia exhibited some of its popular titles, including drama series The Making of An Ordinary Woman 2. The company’s Senior Planner in Content Production, Echo Ku saw great value in how TCCF 2022 brought together professionals from different areas of the entertainment industry in one place. Ku discovered valuable, cross-domain opportunities in music and gaming, plus she received practical feedback from international and domestic collaborators. INNOVATIONS Open to the public throughout all 11 days of TCCF 2022, Innovations aimed to inspire visitors with the future of content creation. It featured 26 exhibitors from USA, Japan, France and Taiwan, displaying 19 individual XR, interactive projection, and NFT works. Within the Innovations space, Stereo staged “future of music” performances from 42 groups, collaborating in 33 shows, across 3 main stages. Lighting technology, modern dance, contemporary circus performance, film projection, live podcast, and other performing arts were combined to create an avant-garde spectacle. Taiwanese indie rock band, Sorry Youth performed on a four-sided stage at the Stereo event, offering their audience a multitude of experiential perspectives. The band say they’ve noticed a resurgence of interest in live music, and highlighted their intention to bring new technologies into their live performances. FORUM The TCCF 2022 Forum featured an international lineup of 45 speakers. Asia Contents Producer in the Video Streaming Department at Japan's Rakuten TV, Kim Kyoung-eun joined a Spotlight event about BL (Boy’s Love) drama, addressing how Taiwanese BL content creators can find a niche in the global market. Kim was excited to share that the number of viewers of Taiwanese BL dramas in Japan has increased 25 times since 2018. She believes this trend can continue, so long as the production quality remains high. CEO of Singapore’s Star Ritz International Entertainment, Angie Chai joined an Industry Talk on Emerging Investment Opportunities in the Content Industry. She spoke about the paradigm shift from local television audiences to global OTT audiences. According to Chai, the biggest emerging investment opportunity is in content created for OTT. About TCCF TCCF (Taiwan Creative Content Fest) is a key content marketplace in Asia, gathering selected entertainment content from Taiwan, and bringing buyers and professionals from all over the world to Taipei. TCCF offers diverse events like pitching sessions, content and music showcases, forum panels, and immersive experiences to connect you with promising stories, fundings, and global partners. Stay tuned to the official website [www.tccf.tw] and social media for news about next year’s events. Contact Details DDG Daniel Cunningham +886 905 980 644 daniel.cunningham@ddg.com.tw TAICCA Maggie Yang +886 2 2745 8186 maggie.y@taicca.tw

November 16, 2022 05:18 AM Eastern Standard Time

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CO2oons! NEW WEB3 CLIMATE CHANGE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY LAUNCHES at COP27: The UNITED NATIONS CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE

CO2oons

November 15, 2022 - Co-Founder & CEO, David Villaseñor, and Co-Founder Matteo Petrelli, today announced the launch of CO2oons, a new company born with the goal of changing the way people think about, and engage, with the climate change conversation. CO2oons will partner and collaborate with the world’s top brands to create consumer products, educational initiatives, films, serial content and events all centered around the company’s original IP: a population of creatures living in Earth’s near future, that have evolved out of the effects of climate change and are now the only living things on the planet. David Villaseñor, Co-Founder & CEO said: “The core of our idea is this: we will use entertainment to build a mainstream, recognized global brand in the climate arena that will inspire and connect with audiences in a way that only beloved characters and stories are able to do. We must find new and innovative ways to attract people to become involved in the fight to save our planet, and we believe that making the conversation entertaining could be an important part of the solution.” CO2oons’ leadership team includes: Co-founder & CEO David Villaseñor, also serving as Director of Operations of Earth Uprising International, a global youth-led climate justice organization founded by his daughter, internationally recognized teenage climate activist Alexandria Villaseñor; Pete Johnson, Co-founder & Chief Creative and Marketing Officer, most recently Global Head of Creative at The LEGO Agency; Ahmet Can, Co-founder & COO, 20-year veteran of the start-up world having scaled several global organizations with three successful exits; and Matteo Petrelli, Co-founder and CEO of Exeest, a leading B2B platform for licensing/purchasing of film and TV rights. The announcement was made from the stage during the CO2oons hosted panel, “ Blockchain, Climate, Corporations and Regulations” at The Earth Day Pavillion during the COP27 conference. CO2oons brought together panelists Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr, CEO of Hip Hop Caucus and Senior Advisor of Bloomberg Philanthropies; AY Young, climate activist, producer, singer and entrepreneur; and Miles Austin, CEO of Hyphen Global AG, Managing Director of CPG Capital to discuss the intersections, the misconceptions, the upcoming regulations and the potential possibilities Web3 can bring to climate change. Panelists shared perspectives on the role of Fortune 500 companies and what they could be doing to help fight the climate crisis, the real impacts that Blockchains have and will have in the environmental space, and the role that entertainment and a more engaging way of communicating can have. CO2oons is hosting a second panel on November 17th at 11am GMT+2 at the Earth Day Pavillion: “CO2oons! Bringing the Youth Climate Movement to Web3”, featuring Steve Wallace, Official Institutions & Advocacy, Global Lead at Polygon Technology; Alexandria Villasenōr, Co-founder of U.S. Climate Strikes and Earth Uprising International; Seb Lindner, co-founder of Web3daily; and Matteo Petrelli, co-founder of Co2oons. Both panels can be viewed here. The idea behind CO2oons is to create an imaginary world that can attract and entertain global audiences, using many forms of storytelling, and help raise awareness about the status of our climate (in a fun and engaging way!) With CO2oons, we’ve created an IP that will first launch as an NFT collection and then evolve to become much more. We will partner and collaborate with the world’s top brands to create consumer products, educational initiatives, films, serial content, events and much more. We want our creatures everywhere, raising awareness and inspiring action not just from NGOs, activists and a small group of corporations, but from the largest audience possible. We believe that by making the conversation fun we will be able to reach a broader audience and to capture the interest of more people, in a more personal and active way. Contact Details CO2oons Lauren Hurvitz laurenhurvitz@gmail.com Company Website https://co2oons.com/

November 15, 2022 03:26 PM Eastern Standard Time

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